At 6.30am yesterday (Sunday), there were no impassable creeks or river crossings on the PDR.
The Archer River was level with the causeway, the Myall was down and the Laura has been below the bridge for a while now.
With school holidays starting on Thursday, families are eager to go camping before the Cape is filled with tourists, while some much-needed shopping is required in Cairns and Mareeba.
Last week, the Department of Traffic and Main Roads (TMR) put out a statement, saying the PDR was closed between Laura and Weipa due to flooding.
However, when Cape York Weekly pointed out that there was no longer any flooding blocking access, we were told it was due to safety measures.
“Safety is our number one priority and we restrict access to the PDR during the wet season when required,” a spokesperson said.
“The road may need to remain closed until inspectors carry out proper assessments of infrastructure, even after flood waters subside.”
Despite this, the TMR website says the PDR is open to local traffic, albeit with a five-tonne limit.
Confused? We are. It’s time for TMR to do the right thing and open the PDR this week ahead of the school holidays.
